A Russian mountaineer is waiting for help at Victory Peak. What you need to know

Natalia Nagovitsyna, a climber from Russia, has been staying at the top of the Kyrgyz Victory Peak for more than a week due to a broken leg. Rescuers are unable to get close to her due to bad weather conditions, and an attempt to land the helicopter ended in a hard landing. What happened to the athlete and what are the chances of salvation — in the material of Izvestia.

Chronology of events

• Nagovitsyna decided to climb Pobedy Peak to pay tribute to her husband, who died while climbing the same mountain in 2021. On August 12, during the descent with an international group, the climber suffered a broken leg and was unable to continue the route. Her companion Roman provided first aid and went down to the camp for support. The next day, two participants from Italy and Germany joined the climber. They delivered her groceries, a sleeping bag, and a gas burner.

• Nagovitsyna was left alone, as her comrades were unable to organize an evacuation on their own. In the circle of climbers, it is usually considered unacceptable to leave the victim alone, but in this situation there was no other way out. In all the years of climbing Pobedy Peak, there have never been cases when someone managed to get off the top ridge if a person could not move independently.

• An Mi-8 helicopter of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Defense was sent to the area of the incident, with six specialists on board. However, due to strong winds and limited visibility, the aircraft made a hard landing, resulting in injuries to the crew commander and one of the rescuers. Later, the Mi-17VM was lifted into the air, but it also could not get closer to the intended point — a complete loss of visibility prevented it.

The Whole Earth: how a geographical society appeared in Russia

The oldest public organization in the country was created at the behest of the emperor

• Just a day before these events, a tragedy occurred with another Russian athlete, the captain of the national mountaineering team, Nikolai Totmyanin. During the descent, he suddenly became ill. Despite the fact that he managed to walk to the camp on his own and was subsequently sent to a hospital in Bishkek, doctors were unable to save his life.

The main risks

• The difficulties with the evacuation of the Russian climber are primarily related to the peculiarities of the mountain itself. In Soviet times, this peak was considered the most difficult, and even despite the development of climbing technology, it remains just as dangerous. The peak is located at the end of a long and gentle ridge at a height of seven kilometers. The climber, having climbed there, is forced to overcome about 10 km more through deep snow under a squally wind and with the risk of disruption in order to reach the goal. Then you need to have the strength to return by the same route.

• During rescue operations, people who provide assistance are exposed to a tremendous threat. When the victim is transported on a stretcher along a snowy ridge, there is a possibility of a fall, in which the victim is able to drag rescuers with him. Also, working at such a height is complicated by hypoxia. Aviation evacuation is also extremely dangerous: even a slight gust of wind can be critical, because the helicopter loses stability in these conditions, which turns the task for the pilot into a deadly risky one.

• Weather conditions at the summit are deteriorating rapidly: frost of up to -26 degrees and snowfall were forecast on August 21. It may take about five to six days to reach the climber's intended search point. The nearest camp to the peak is Yuzhny Inylchek, located approximately 3,500 m above sea level.

When writing the material, Izvestia took into account the opinions of:

• Denis Kiselyov, a rescuer and teacher at the Central School of Mountaineering Instructors.